5 Of The Deepest Tracks Off Solange’s ‘A Seat At The Table’
Solange‘s soulful impact with her album A Seat At The Table really differentiated herself from comparison, both from other artists, as well as her sister Beyonce.
For Birthday Girl Solange, we’d like to touch on 5 solid tracks off of her 2016 album, and how the lyrical content, chill vibes, and vibrant sound made Solange her own household name status.
“Weary”
Heavy Lyric: “I’m weary of the ways of the world, Be weary of the ways of the world.”
With lyrics that note that a “King is only a man,” and that “he bleeds just like you do,” the song seems oddly enough, very political for a song that is this chill. It would be great to see Solange do a song with singer BANKS – they have a melodic flow that would complement each other’s sound.
“Cranes In The Sky”
Heavy Lyric: “I tried to drink it away. I tried to put one in the air. I tried to dance it away. I tried to change it with my hair. I ran my credit card bill up. Thought a new dress would make it better. I tried to work it away, But that just made me even sadder.”
Solange sings about walking away from a lover and thinking that if she was alone, then she’d feel better.
“Don’t Touch My Hair”
Heavy Lyric: “Don’t touch my pride, They say the glory’s all mine, Don’t test my mouth, They say the truth is my sound.”
The theme of the song/video pulls from the feeling Solange has about her Black Culture. Quoted in The Huffington Post: “When I felt afraid or when I felt like this record would be so different from my last, I would see or hear another story of a young Black person in America having their life taken away from them, having their freedom taken away,” Solange said in a recorded conversation between she and her mother Tina Knowles on her site Saint Heron.” With so much culture and ignorance that comes from everyone that ISN’T BLACK, the realization that things like grabbing someone’s hair / bringing attention to it in Black Culture is actually taken as an insult or call back to the times that their hair was being policed. To read more about that, head over to Medium.
“Mad” Feat. Lil’ Wayne
Heavy Lyric: “You got the light count it all joy, You got the right to be mad, But when you carry it along, you’ll find it only get up in the way, They say you gotta let it go.”
From what it sounds like from the lyrics, the song talks about how even though you are in a world with many stressors, you have reasons to be happy and if you keep carrying the anger with you, it will poison your life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ4JeZnDjLA
“Borderline (An Ode To Self Care)” Feat. Q-Tip
Heavy Lyric: “So let’s take it off tonight, Break it off tonight, Baby let’s know when to let go, Know when to let go.”
Knowing when to let go in a relationship is hard, and this song notes that they’ve been lovers on a mission, and they are on a borderline, but they should take an intermission to figure out what they both need. Not too many people sing about taking a break, or knowing when to take a step back so this was a solid pick.
Which song is your favorite off A Seat At The Table? What song do you feel is most impowering? Let us know! And don’t forget to send Solage a little birthday message!
Amy Cooper is the type of journalist that when asked “What do you bring to the table,” she replies “I am the table.